Safe and Sound

Austin-Round Rock ranks No. 4 on list of most secure large cities

Austin-Round Rock is the No. 4 most secure large city.

When it comes to safety and security across the U.S., residents of the Austin–Round Rock metropolitan area are in a good position. According to a study released last week by Farmers Insurance, Austin is the No. 4 most secure large city in the country.

"It is the fifth straight year for the Austin–Round Rock, Texas, area [to rank], which came in fourth this year, up from No. 10 in 2011," Farmers Insurance said in the release. Bethesda, Maryland; Grand Rapids, Michigan; and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania ranked as the top three cities ahead of Texas' capital. Other Texas cities on the list of the top 20 included Dallas, ranked No. 10, and El Paso, ranked No. 17.

For its findings, the study took into account the following criteria: economic stability, crime statistics, extreme weather, risk of natural disasters, housing depreciation, foreclosures, air quality, environmental hazards, life expectancy, motor vehicle fatalities and employment numbers. (Also of note, "Grand Rapids and Austin are two cities in which Farmers Insurance has a significant employee presence.")

The full list is as follows:

1. Bethesda–Gaithersburg–Frederick, Maryland
2. Grand Rapids–Wyoming, Michigan
3. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
4. Austin–Round Rock, Texas
5. Cambridge–Newton–Framingham, Massachusetts
6. Omaha, Neb.–Council Bluffs, Iowa
7. San Jose–Sunnyvale–Santa Clara, California
8. San Francisco–San Mateo–Redwood City, California
9. Portland–Beaverton, Oregon–Vancouver, Washington
10. Dallas–Plano–Irving, Texas
11. Boise City–Nampa, Idaho
12. Madison, Wisconsin
13. Minneapolis–St. Paul–Bloomington, Minnesota
14. Raleigh–Cary, North Carolina
15. Portland–South Portland–Biddeford, Maine
16. Essex County, Massachusetts
17. El Paso, Texas
18. Honolulu, Hawaii
19. Santa Ana–Anaheim–Irvine, California
20. Des Moines–West Des Moines, Iowa

unspecified

New Treasure Trove

Iconic Austin crystal shop celebrates new location and 25-year milestone

Photo courtesy of Nature's Treasures

Nature's Treasures is officially debuting its new location.

Nature's Treasures, one of Austin's most famous, yet niche stores, is officially making its comeback after being relocated from its spot on I-35. It's one of more than 100 stores that were forced to close locations to make way for a massive highway expansion project, but it's ready to show off its new digs with a "Re-Grand Opening" on Saturday and Sunday, January 25-26.

With help from the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), the crystal shop was able to make a relatively smooth transition from its former location to 11055 N. IH35 Frontage Rd. It has maintained both locations at once for several weeks, but now it's time for the new space's official debut. So far, there is no specified end date for operations at the original location.

The new space is in an event center, meaning much more space for retail; the business graduated from 14,000 square feet (still nothing to scoff at) to 18,000 for retail and 5,200 for events.

Nature's Treasures event center interior A photo from early in the setup shows how much room there is to fill at the event center.Photo courtesy of Nature's Treasures

The grand opening will also celebrate Nature's Treasures' 25th year of being in business. It'll feature 30 vendors selling everything from jewelry to apothecary blends or offering services like reiki, tarot reading, energy work, and other eclectic spiritual and wellness modalities.

There will be presentation by "Austin's Crystal Whisperer," tours of the new space, and giveaways including a large heart-shaped amethyst geode valued at more than $900, per a press release. The food truck Juli's Tacos will also be at the event.

A walkthrough video on Instagram gives a preview of the space during a similar event.

See on Instagram

This is far from the only chance to attend a vendor event at Nature's Treasures. It hosts a monthly metaphysical and holistic fair, a biannual jewelry bazaar, and a variety of workshops and other smaller events.

The grand opening is scheduled for 11 am to 5 pm on January 25 and 26, according to Instagram posts. The event is free to attend, and the location has free parking.

nature openings jewelry home decor